1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of carrying bags such as gym bags and other objects used to carry sports items such as backpacks. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements in such carrying bags which enable a person to carry objects which are too large to fit within the carrying bag or to carry large objects in a manner which will not take up a lot of room within the carrying bag.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the concept of having an expandable pocket to retain objects outside of the carrying bag or backpack has been known in the prior art. The following 13 patents and published patent applications are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,121 issued to Capwell on Jul. 14, 1998 for “Pocket Closure And Compression Strap For A Pack” (hereafter the “Capwell Patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 398,776 issued to Fawcett on Sep. 29, 1998 for “Pack With Pocket” (hereafter the “Fawcett Patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,809 issued to Nelson on Apr. 6, 1999 for “Carrying Bag With Deployable Bottle Pouch” (hereafter the “Nelson Patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. D440,040 S issued to Cantasano on Apr. 10, 2001 for “Jacquard Woven Golf Ditty Bag” (hereafter the “Cantasano Patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 410,329 issued to Wyatt on Jun. 1, 1999 for “Combined Rucksack And Net Bag” (hereafter the “Wyatt Patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,406 B1 issued to Garino on Jul. 10, 2001 for “Detachable Basketball Hanger” (hereafter the “Garino Patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,674 B1 issued to Richard on Sep. 11, 2001 for “Carrying Bag With Ball Container” (hereafter the “Richard Patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,146 B1 issued to Siwak on Dec. 11, 2001 for “Baggage With Retractable Beverage Container Pocket” (hereafter the “Siwak Patent”);
9. United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0113102 A1 to Klamm on Aug. 22, 2002 for “Backpack That Is Foldable Into A Bag” (hereafter the “Klamm Patent Publication”);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,472 B1 issued to Zakarin on Sep. 2, 2003 for “Carrying Bags And Storage Compartments For Headwear” (hereafter the “Zakarin Patent”);
11. United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0149793 A1 to Theodore on Aug. 5, 2004 for “Triathlonbag II” (hereafter the “Theodore Patent Publication”);
12. United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0195286 A1 to Greenhalgh on Oct. 7, 2004 for “Carrier” (hereafter the “Greenhalgh Patent Publication”);
13. PCT Application No. PCT/US97/22424 filed on Dec. 3, 1997 for “Sports Bag” (hereafter the “'22424 PCT Application”).
The Capwell Patent discloses the general concept of an expandable pocket attached to the back of a backpack including a pocket panel 34 which may have side or bottom gussets (not shown) forming an expanded pocket. The pocket is formed onto the backpack and does not appear to be large enough to carry large objects such as a basketball or a soccer ball. Carrying object in this way will put a strain on the wearer's back.
The Fawcett Patent is a design patent which shows the concept of a pack with a pocket made of mesh fabric. The mesh pocket is mostly open and it is easy for objects to fall out if the pack is turned upside down or jostled.
The Nelson Patent discloses a bag referred to generally by the reference numeral 10 which is provided with a bottle pouch 12 for supporting and carrying a water bottle 14. The bottle pouch 12 is designed for movement between a stored position (FIGS. 1 and 6) contained and concealed within a pocket 16 of the bag, and a deployed position (FIGS. 2 and 4) exposed to the exterior of the bag for use and carrying the water bottle 14. The pouch is not designed to be completely closed so it is easy for the water bottle to fall out.
The Cantasano Patent is also a design patent for a golf ditty bag.
The Wyatt Patent discloses a combined rucksack and net bag which has a mesh net back which is attached at one end of the rucksack. The top opening of the net can be closed with a drawstring but will still have an opening through which objects can fall out.
The Garino Patent discloses basketball hanger which has a mesh bag for retaining a basketball on a physical object.
The Richard Patent discloses a carrying bag with a ball container. The primary container backpack has a zippered attachment member (see FIG. 4 to see the mating zippers), which zippered attachment member is a separate ball carrying container which is large enough to hold a basketball and has a mesh understructure in a top closing portion so that the top of the ball is closed and zippered shut. The entire weight of the ball is on the backpack which can create a strain on the back of the person carrying the backpack.
The Siwak Patent discloses a baggage with mesh attachment that is configured to support a beverage container on the exterior of the baggage. The pocket is constructed of a mesh material and has an elastic strap along an upper edge that allows the pocket to expand to support various size containers, such as a bottled water. When not in use, the pocket can be held collapsed against or inside the piece of baggage by a closure mechanism such as a zipper. The mesh pocket cannot be completely closed so it is easy for objects retained therein to fall out.
The Klamm Patent Publication is a published patent application which discloses a compressible storage bag that is included in the pouch of a backpack (see FIG. 4 for best illustration) and the pouch can be removed and the backpack folded into the pouch.
The Zakarin Patent discloses a backpack that includes a rear compartment formed in part from an expandable material for receiving oversized items such as basketballs, soccer balls, footballs and the like. As with the Richard Patent, the entire weight of the ball is on the backpack which can create a strain on the back of the person carrying the backpack.
The Theodore Patent Publication is a published patent application which discloses a collapsible bag comprised of a pouch 21 of flexible water resistant material, such as nylon, and a mesh cylinder 20. The mesh cylinder 20 is connected to the open end of the pouch 21 and may be closed with a draw string as depicted in FIG. 5.
The Greenhalgh Patent is a published application which discloses is a backpack which is used by motorcyclists. A bag 11 has a main compartment 22 and a lower compartment 25 adapted to receive the helmet 26 inside it so that the carrier 10 can be freestanding when placed on the ground.
The PCT Application discloses a sport bag 10 wherein a sports ball compartment 50 for retaining a sports ball is coupled to an outer surface of a primary compartment 20. Secondary storage compartments 32, 34 and 44 such as first and second cleat pockets 32 and 34 and a contaminated article pocket 44 are lined with inner sleeves 36. A drawstring closure 66 and a protective flap 70 combine to protect each of the primary compartments 20 and the first and second cleat pockets 32 and 34 while permitting a ventilating communication between the contents of each compartment 20, 32 and 34 and the environment. As with the Richard and Zakarin Patents, the entire weight of the ball is on the backpack which can create a strain on the back of the person carrying the backpack.
There is a significant need for an improved expandable retainer incorporated into a gym bag or backpack which can securely carry large objects such as a basketball or soccer ball in a way that the expandable but is not formed into the backpack to put a strain on the wearer's back when the object is carried within the retainer.